Inkjet printers have been required to attain improved durability and reliability, as well as attaining high-speed operation and high image quality. If a foreign matter adheres on a nozzle surface of an inkjet head, an ejection failure may occur due to the foreign matter. To address the problem, a typical inkjet printer is configured so that ink adhering on the nozzle surface of the inkjet head may be wiped off by a wiper blade made of an elastic member to remove an adhering matter. The wiper blade for removing an adhering matter uses one blade to wipe one or a plurality of inkjet heads for cleaning. Particularly in a configuration in which one wiper blade is used to wipe a plurality of inkjet heads, the frequency of use of the wiper blade is increased and multiplied by the number of inkjet heads. Accordingly, as compared to a configuration in which one wiper blade wipes one inkjet head, the durability and reliability of the wiper blade are liable to be reduced and the life tends to be shortened.
For example, JP 3233164 B is known as the related art. This related art includes a mechanism of wiping a nozzle surface of a head by a wiper blade. Guide members are provided on both sides of the nozzle surface of the head, and wiping means for cleaning the nozzle surface is provided. A slit is formed in the wiping means correspondingly to the width of a recessed portion of the nozzle surface, and hence, for example, in the case where the guide members are made of metal and the wiping means is an elastic member such as rubber, when the nozzle surface is wiped across an edge portion of the guide member, the wiping means is remarkably deformed and may heavily be consumed.